Rising in overlapping terraced layers, the gigantic talus field is the epitome of disordered nature at its rawest. Somehow climbers have made this jumble their own, and discerned a pattern where none should exist. The canyon has been divided into lower, middle and upper Chaos, each of which forms distinct areas in their own right. I tried to imagine the feelings of the diehard locals who stumbled from their mountain ramble onto this bouldering goldmine only four years ago. It must have been immediately obvious that this was not a place for the ’old-school’. Invoking fear and excitement in equal measure, the blocs are as menacing as they are beautiful. Problems rise out of chasms and voids, within which jagged back-breaking spikes lurk...When combined with the adventurous nature of the hike and the high altitude, this is a not a place for the faint-hearted. Injury is an ever present threat. A broken ankle is a legitimate risk and evacuation would be long and arduous. But for the dedicated, the boulders have indeed beckoned. The Canyon has called some of the world’s strongest climbers; David Graham, James Litz, and Malcolm Smith, to name just a few. Each has made their own
One after another I discovered these established classics. Test pieces such as Nuthin’ But Sunshine, V14 and Freak of the Industry, also V14, reside beneath boulders the size of houses, waiting to draw blood from even the strongest of fingertips. Climbing here is characterized by positive-hold crimping. Pockets are nonexistent; edges are the only means of ascent. Combine intellectual sequencing and pain-tolerance-snatching and the secrets of these boulders will be unlocked. Hosting over 50 problems harder than V9, (a comparatively easy grade in the park), the warm-ups begin roughly around V5!
Eventually after hours of toiling through the moraines I tore myself away from my explorations and returned to the valley and resolved to return as soon as possible.
